Working Fluid Unit Containing A Temperature-Sensitive Vehicle Working Fluid

ABSTRACT

A working fluid unit, comprising a container having a temperature-sensitive vehicle working fluid contained therein, in particular for exhaust gas after-treatment, a container mantle which is open at least on one side and in which the vehicle working fluid is introduced and the opening of which is closed by a container lid, wherein the container lid is connected to the container mantle by friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding, or magnetic pulse crimping, wherein the connecting seam is spaced a distance from the vehicle working fluid that is present.

The present invention relates to an operating fluid unit, comprising a container with a temperature-sensitive vehicle operating fluid contained therein, especially for exhaust-gas treatment, with a container mantle open at least on one side, into which the vehicle operating fluid is introduced and the opening of which is closed by means of a container lid. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a container.

To an increasing extent, modern vehicles require containers with temperature-sensitive operating fluids, such as catalytic or exhaust-gas treatment substances based on metallic hydrides or ammonia, which are generally present in granular or powdered form. For the manufacture of such units, sealed-joint connections are required, which, according to the prior art, are manufactured by fusion welding or gluing. However, fusion welding has the disadvantage of a high input of heat, which can damage the temperature-sensitive operating fluid. By contrast, gluing is a very time-consuming process which does not allow a rapid manufacturing rate.

The object of the invention is to provide a operating fluid unit of the type named, which can be manufactured rapidly and in a manner protective of the operating fluids contained therein.

This object is achieved in a first aspect of the invention with a operating fluid unit of the type named in the introduction, which is characterised according to the invention in that the container lid is connected to the container mantle by friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding or magnetic pulse crimping.

In this manner, a rapid manufacture with the maximum possible protection of the temperature-sensitive vehicle operating fluid is achieved. Friction stir welding (friction stir welding, FSW) causes a substantially reduced input of heat by comparison with conventional fusion welding. Magnetic pulse welding (magnetic pulse welding, MPW) and magnetic pulse crimping (magnetic pulse crimping, MPC) are methods with a particularly low input of heat and are therefore particularly protective of the vehicle operating fluid.

By preference, the connecting seam has a distance from the contained vehicle operating fluid. Especially in the case of friction stir welding, any slight input of heat is further reduced before it can reach the vehicle operating fluid by maintaining such a distance relative to the interior of the container.

One embodiment of the invention, which is particularly preferred for the same reason, is characterised in that the container lid is connected to the container mantle by magnetic pulse crimping with the interposition of a gasket ring into a groove of the container mantle and/or container lid. This exploits the advantages of magnetic pulse crimping, which causes almost no input of heat, while achieving an excellent seal.

By preference, the connecting seam is disposed at an edge of the container lid facing outwards away from the container opening with a distance from the interior of the container. This achieves a good thermal spacing between the connecting seam and the interior of the container.

In the preferred embodiment of the magnetic pulse crimping, it is particularly favourable if the edge is profiled on the external peripheral side, preferably tapered, in order to provide a form-fit engagement after the crimping of the container mantle.

The container lid is preferably made of sheet metal and the edge is manufactured by reshaping or beading; as an alternative, the container lid is preferably made of cast synthetic material or cast metal, and the edge is made by moulding. Both variants achieve a cost-favourable manufacture.

In a second aspect, the invention achieves its object with a method for manufacturing a container containing a temperature-sensitive the vehicle operating fluid, especially for exhaust-gas treatment, with the steps of providing a container mantle open at least on one side, introducing the vehicle operating fluid into the container mantle, and closing the container mantle opening by means of a container lid, which is characterised in that the container lid is connected to the container mantle by friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding or magnetic pulse crimping.

With regard to the advantages and further features, reference is made to the deliberations on the operating fluid unit presented above.

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings. The drawings are as follows:

FIG. 1 shows, in half section, a first embodiment of an operating fluid unit according to the invention, which is manufactured by friction stir welding;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b show, in fact, in each case in half section, a second embodiment of the operating fluid unit of the invention during two successive manufacturing steps by means of magnetic pulse welding; and

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show, also in each case in half section, a third embodiment of the operating fluid unit of the invention during two successive manufacturing steps by means of magnetic pulse crimping.

FIG. 1 shows a operating fluid unit 1 comprising a container 2 with a temperature-sensitive vehicle operating fluid 3 contained therein, for example, a granular ammonia salt. The vehicle operating fluid 3 can also occupy only a part of the container 2; however, by preference, it is firmly pressed into the latter.

The container 2 is made up from a container mantle 4, which is approximately cylindrical in this case, and a container lid, which is inserted into an end opening 6 of the container mantle 4 in a sealing manner. The container mantle 4 can provide any required cross-section and can also have more than one container opening 6, each with a container lid 5. Conventional connections of the container 2 have not been illustrated for reasons of simplicity.

The container lid 5 provides a folded edge 7 facing outwards away from the container opening 6, with which it is in close contact at the internal periphery of the mouth region of the container mantle 4. In this region, a connecting seam 8 is generated between the container mantle 4 and the container lid 5, in fact, by friction stir welding by means of a fiction stir welding tool 9, by holding against a contact block 10. In this context, the connecting seam 8 preferably maintains a distance A from the interior of the container and accordingly from the vehicle operating fluid 3 contained therein. The distance A is preferably within the range from 1 to 50 mm, by particular preference 3 to 20 mm.

As an alternative, it is also possible to insert the container lid 5 in an inverted manner, that is, with the edge 7 facing inwards into the container mantle 4, in which case, the distance A does not occur.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b show a further alternative embodiment and an alternative manufacturing method for the operating fluid unit 1. The container lid 5 here is a cast synthetic material or cast metal part with an edge 7 moulded or formed by milling, with a slight conical tapering at the external periphery. By welding of the mouth region of the container mantle 4 to the edge 7 by means of a magnetic pulse welding method (magnetic pulse welding, MPW), a connecting seam 8 is once again achieved, which preferably maintains a distance A from the vehicle operating fluid 3.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show a further embodiment, in which the external side of the edge 7 is profiled, especially tapered, facing in the direction away from the container opening 6, and the connecting seem 8 is provided by form-fit folding of the mouth region of the container mantle 4 onto the profiled edge 7 by means of a magnetic pulse crimping method (magnetic pulse crimping, MPC). As a result of the crimping of the mouth edge of the container mantle 4, a small distance A from the vehicle operating fluid 3 is also obtained here.

As a seal for the container 2 in this embodiment and variant method, an O-ring gasket can be inserted between the container mantle 4 and the container lid 5, and, in fact, into a groove 12 of the container mantle 4 and/or of the edge 7. Instead of a separate O-ring gasket, the container lid 5 can also be provided with a moulded sealing lip.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiments, but comprises all variants and modifications which fall within the framework of the attached claims. 

1. An operating fluid unit, comprising a container with a temperature-sensitive vehicle operating fluid contained therein, a container mantle open at least on one side, into which the vehicle operating fluid is introduced, and the opening of which is closed by means of a container lid, wherein the container lid is connected to the container mantle by friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding or magnetic pulse crimping, thereby forming a connecting seam.
 2. The operating fluid unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting seam is spaced a distance from the contained vehicle operating fluid.
 3. The operating fluid unit according to claim 1, wherein the container lid is connected to the container mantle by magnetic pulse crimping with the interposition of a gasket ring into a groove of the container mantle and/or container lid.
 4. The operating fluid unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting seam is disposed with a distance from the interior of the container at an edge of the container lid facing outwards from the container opening.
 5. The operating fluid unit according to claim 4, wherein the edge is profiled on the external peripheral side, preferably tapered.
 6. The operating fluid unit according to claim 4, wherein the container lid is manufactured from sheet metal and the edge is manufactured by reshaping or beading.
 7. The operating fluid unit according to claim 4, wherein the container lid is manufactured from cast synthetic material or cast metal, and the edge is manufactured by moulding.
 8. A method for manufacturing a container containing a temperature-sensitive vehicle operating fluid, comprising the steps of: providing a container mantle open on at least one side; introducing the vehicle operating fluid into the container mantle; and, closing the container mantle opening by means of a container lid, wherein the container lid is connected to the container mantle by friction stir welding, magnetic pulse welding or magnetic pulse crimping, thereby forming a connecting seam.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the connecting seam is spaced a distance from the vehicle operating fluid.
 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the container lid is connected to the container mantle by magnetic pulse crimping with the interposition of a gasket ring into a groove of the container mantle and/or container lid.
 11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the connecting seam is disposed at an edge of the container lid facing outwards away from the container opening.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the edge is embodied in a profiled manner on the external peripheral side, preferably in a tapered manner.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the container lid is manufactured from sheet metal, and the edge is manufactured by reshaping or beading.
 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the container lid is manufactured from cast synthetic material or cast metal, and the edge is manufactured by moulding or milling. 